A Thousand Years: Prequel
by Max7
Summary: Tradition is a hard thing to break. The rules are simple. All you have to do is follow them. But what if following the rules means going against everything you want? What do you do? Exactly what I'm doing: break them.
1. 00: Nicholas Mosley

_Here is the prequel! I'm gonna warn you now. Chapter 4 is a very abrupt lemon. I'll put it up later. I really don't have time to post this one, but I promised, so here ya go!_

**00. You & Me: Lifehouse**

It was the end of November 1914. I was staring off of the balcony, looking down at the country and forest around me while the brisk wind blew my midnight black curls around like crazy. It was a rural area, but most small towns in the South were—least they used to be. Cullman, Alabama's what we called it, even out here in the county. City just got a new high school and everything.

It was a boring place to live, but what can you do? At seventeen years old, you really can't disobey your parents and move out on your own, especially in a society where women are nothing more than housewives and property. Prettiest place I've ever been, though.

That's not really saying much, since I ain't been nowhere before besides here, but it _was _pretty and safe. I had to give it that.

My mother stepped outside with me with a cigarette in her hand, her dress half undone, and her bronze hair hanging shaggily on her shoulders. Her intriguing blue eyes grabbed mine in an instant. It was the only trait I got from her, and I was glad I did. It was her most beautiful trait, and besides her eyes, my older sister Maria was the spitting image of her.

"Your father will be home soon. We should get inside and finish supper."

I heard someone knock on the door, and Momma jumped a little. "I'll get it, Ma. You just go in your room and have Miss Elizabeth button ya up."

She nodded and scurried back inside, doing just like I asked and heading up the stairs. I just went inside, locked the balcony, and moved downstairs myself. The balcony was on the third floor, so I had to hurry. Thankfully, around the house, I was allowed to walk barefoot in order to move quicker. Dresses were required, though, in case any young gentlemen came by and tried to court me.

There was only one gentleman I wanted to court me, but I'd only seen him once, didn't even know who he was. He was with Maria one day, walking her through town, and if I asked her, she would've gotten upset, so I never saw him after that. Never found out who he was.

When I answered the door, I saw the most attractive gentleman I had ever seen—the one I had dreamed of being the man to court me. He had short, straight charcoal black hair, and his eyes were so mysterious and piercing. They went well with his olive colored skin. He had broad shoulders, and he was very lean—full of all kinds of muscles. From the way he was dressed, I could see he was a working man, not an upper class man my father wanted for me.

I tried to shut him out of my mind instantly, but it was impossible, especially the way he was looking at me. He wasn't looking at my protruding chest or gazing at me as if I was some prize to be won. In his eyes, I was a beautiful human being, and there was a strange aura of comfort radiating off of him. I felt as if he genuinely cared, and neither of us had even said a word!

He gave me a courteous smiled and bowed a little. "Good mornin', ma'am."

My eyebrows rose, but I was biting my lip. It was something I did when I tried to look uninterested, raised my eyebrows, but I always bit my lip when I saw something I wanted. Contradiction, I know, but it was just what I did. Usually the two things didn't go together. They just did here.

"You here to see my father?" I asked curiously in the most polite way I could without showing any kinds of anything besides courtesy. "He ain't here right now. He stepped away."

"No, ma'am," he answered. "My sister, Miss Elizabeth Mosley, has been courted, and I was asked to retrieve her."

"Come on in!" I exclaimed, eyes bright. I didn't have to hide anything now. "That's incredible! She didn't think—oh. You probably already know. I'll go get her right away. Elizabeth!"

She slowly began descending the stairs, making sure her hair was still neat and pinned back in the sandy blonde bun she had it in. Her chocolate brown eyes didn't look to the guest, because I was standing at the edge of the stairs when she was within eyesight. "Yes, Miss Abigail?"

I gestured to her brother. "Your brother has some exciting news for you."

He smiled over at me and then to her. "You've been courted, Lizzie. John Meyers from down the road talked to Pa today. He's waiting for you at the house. The wedding's tomorrow."

Her eyes widened as she gasped and covered her mouth with her tiny olive hands. "Tomorrow? We'll, I'll be! Abby, darling, I'm sorry to leave ya like this, but I must go. Do promise me you'll come tomorrow."

"Of course," I laughed and hugged her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll pack your things immediately."

She gasped. "Oh, no, Abby. I'll get them. Mr. Meyers can wait j—"

"No," I insisted. "Go to him. The two of y'all have lots to do before tomorrow! I can take care of it. It's no big deal, honey."

She turned to her brother with pleading eyes. "Nicholas, will you please stay and help her? I would feel awful if I left it to her."

"Go on," he nodded. "I can handle this."

"Momma, do make sure to stay in your room if you're not properly dressed!" I called up the stairs before turning back to Nicholas. "Her room is right up these stairs. Honestly, Mr. Mosley, I can handle it."

Those darks orbs, which had been looking around him in the big gold room of the mansion in wonder, shot right back to me and held my gaze. "It's no problem, ma'am. 'Sides, there will be a lot of madness around my place anyways. One less person to get in the way."

"You married?" I asked curiously. "Seems to be all anyone ever talks about nowadays."

"No, ma'am," he answered curtly. "There's one woman I _want _to marry, but I ain't got a chance of courtin' her, and you know how casual dating goes 'round here."

"I do," I agreed. "But you don't know you ain't got a chance. You should always try. A girl might just _want _you to court her, and a girl has more pull over her father sometimes than you realize."

He smiled courteously. "I'm sure they do. I may just do that."

And that was how I met Nicholas Mosley.


	2. 01: I'm dreaming of white alright

_I'm putting up the rest of the prequel (that I have so far) now. So, yes. :) Here's the prequel, for those who want to read it._

_I'm gonna try to keep working. I know it's been a bit, but with exams and such coming up, we'll just see. :) Plus, I'm also getting along somewhere in my book, but I will try to post more on the actual story, not just the prequel._

**01. Love Story: Taylor Swift**

My family let me attend Elizabeth's wedding alone. They were all still mad she left so suddenly, except for Maria, who just didn't want to be near me. It was a mutual feeling, though, so I didn't mind that part.

Elizabeth had sent word through her brother for me to arrive at her house early that morning, even though the wedding wasn't until four in the afternoon. I had no idea why, but when she asked me to be her maid-of-honor, I was thrilled. Usually sisters or cousins filled the role. It was the tradition. She didn't have a sister, though—only her brother. All of her cousins were either not here or too young to be of any use, and she _wanted _it to be me.

I was thrilled, and I even let her wear my diamond studded necklace for something borrowed. It was beautiful with her dress, which was really cute and simple. There was the typical corset bosom, and the skirt was simply and flowed well. It had flowers decorating it, but with such short notice, she wasn't able to use much.

Her mother was much too big for her to wear it, so she had to get a whole new dress.

She was originally going to put her hair up in a simple bun, even though she wanted something absolutely beautiful, but I convinced her that I had time to perfect it, so she let me. I didn't _make _her. She chose to.

Her brother, like tradition, was the groom's best man, so he was escorting me down the isle. Their family was quite welcoming, and I got to talk with the groom. Here, I was allowed to say anything. They didn't give me a number of words I was allowed to use. There was no "proper" way or anything like that.

Everyone just enjoyed each other's company, and that made the day splendid.

Nicholas looked rather dashing in his tuxedo, which _was _his father's. He wasn't getting married, but he was escorting an unmarried woman. It was probably the only tradition this wedding really seemed to follow, besides her dress.

Mine was simple, flat, long-sleeved, and blue. It wasn't anything fancy—something my mother would consider my "work" dress—but I liked it, because it wasn't so tight, and there was no corset. It was just silk, simple, and it didn't go all the way to my ankles. It actually went about mid-calf, which was considered "scandalous" in this town, especially with the lower cut top that curved right under my collar bone.

I really didn't care, though. If I didn't get courted, fine. I could find love on my own.

If anyone in this town heard that . . . oh man. I think I would be kicked out, literally. In cities with women's suffrage growing more and more popular, it would be okay, but to say that out-loud would be like saying there was nothing wrong with colored people.

. . . and I didn't think there was.

When Lizzie was ready, the wedding people began, and the people began making their way quickly to their seats. It was a small affair in the Meyers' cousin's house, the biggest house they felt comfortable asking to borrow. It fit twenty people, not including the wedding party, but it was how Elizabeth preferred it anyways.

I made sure my hair was pinned back and began looking for her bouquet. "Do you know where your brother is?"

She smiled softly at me. "I'm not sure. He'll be here any moment. Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," I assured her. "What is it?"

"Be honest with me," she said firmly, giving me a stern look. "Would you be upset if my brother courted you?"

"No," I answered immediately, and a part of me regretted it. I was too quick to answer, so it was obvious I had thought about it before. "It . . . to be honest with you, I _want _him to. My father would never allow it, though."

She was absolutely beaming. "So tell my brother. Show independence and choose for yourself."

"I can't just tell him," I hissed, astounded with wide eyes. "If he were to ask me to casually date him, I would be more than thrilled to oblige, or if he were to ask me to marry him, I would, but I can't be the one to ask."

"At least let him know you're—" When her brother quickly rushed up, she cut herself off. "Oh, wonderful, Nick. I was beginning to worry, and we're about to start. You two, have fun. Be careful with her. She tends to have vertigo when walking."

I stuck my tongue out at her, but the two of us laughed, and she pulled me into a loving embrace with a deep sigh. "I'm gonna miss you, Elizabeth."

"And I'll miss you too, Abigail," she said quietly. "Of course we'll still see each other. We could have lunch every now and then. It's not like I'm moving to another state."

"Of course," I nodded. "Lunch sounds incredible. Perhaps one day we'll bring our husbands?"

She glanced up at her brother, who wasn't even paying attention to us right now to give us our little private moment, before looking back at me. "Perhaps."

I smiled coyly as the music, which was our cue, began playing. It was a short walk, because it was a short isle, but we made the walk together, and once we got up there, we stood side by side with focused expressions.

It was a brief wedding, but it was the best wedding I had ever been to. Most weddings were because of money, never love. Elizabeth and John had loved each other for a long time, but yesterday he finally courted her.

Never before had I seen a couple so happy.

That's what I wanted . . . true love, and not a wedding for monetary gain. In that moment, I decided that no matter what, my wedding would be real. I wouldn't conform to the "normal" ridges of society and marry whoever my father decided was the best suitor.

I was going to marry who _I _chose, my true love.

At the reception, which had even fewer people than the wedding, people were dancing merrily and having a wonderful time. My house and family and "class" in society made dancing at all out to be some kind of terrible, sinful thing that's the devil's way of getting a woman to tempt a man, which isn't true. Sometimes it's not that at all.

"You look like you really want to dance," Nicholas spoke up, and I laughed a little as I jumped in surprise.

He started me, but under the bright moonlight that now shone brilliantly, I saw a side of him I had never seen before—never thought I would. The silver outline of his face gave him a joyous, mysterious appearance, and his gaze didn't help that either. What I saw was love in its purest form, and he wasn't trying to hide it.

I didn't know what it meant, mostly because I didn't really think about it. When his hand extended out for me to take, if I accepted his offer to dance, I didn't think about anything.

I just danced under the stars of the winter night. It was the first time I had ever done something so fun, so rebellious, and I felt _incredible_, like I could take on the world. All I wanted to do was hold onto him and dance the years away. I wanted to dance until somehow, everything in the world was perfect and social class didn't matter. I wanted to dance to a time where casual dating was the way to go and courting was an old time tradition, where women were allowed to wear more than dresses without being considered "unladylike."

Too bad a world like that will probably never exist.

As the night drug on, people slowly began to leave, especially after the married couple departed to their new home, provided by both families. They had worked hard all night to build it, and it still had work to be done on it, but it was a start.

There were only the parents of the newlyweds, Nicholas, and I left still here. His parents didn't seem sure how to feel about me still being here, especially with Nicholas and I practically inseparable the entire time, but they were polite anyways, and when it was time for them to go to bed, they politely said goodnight to their new family and me, and they left.

Nicholas and I left after that, because he had to go home as well, and I was probably already in trouble. He was a gentleman, though, and instead of making me ride back alone, he drove me home. There was some talk, but I didn't really take in and absorb much. I was too caught up in being in his presence, so close to him, to really have the capability of understanding and making sense of what he was saying.

It had been the most spectacular night, and when we got home, he hurried around to open my door. Like a gentleman should, he walked me to the front door, and before I could open it to go inside, he kissed my hand ever so gently, said a gentle goodnight, and went on his way.

I was too breathless to utter a single word.

When I got inside, my parents didn't look happy at all, but I didn't even pay them any mind. Instead, I just floated upstairs, past my sister's room, and into my own room, where I dreamily closed my door and got dressed and ready for bed.

That night, I dreamed about wedding gowns, about angels with white wings dressed in all white looking down and smiling as two people, totally in love, made the lifetime commitment of marriage.

Those two people were Nicholas and me.


	3. 02: I have to be happier than you

**02. Heartless: Kanye West (or, if you would prefer, the Fray cover of it)**

***Maria***

"You have another suitor," my mother informed me one cold Tuesday night, a few days after Elizabeth's stupid wedding. "He's a very likely candidate. Mr. Wesley Clay from two roads up, closer to the city. Do you remember him, dear?"

I groaned. "I remember him, and if I marry him, I'll just as soon go to prison for murder!"

"Maria Morrow, that was very unladylike," she scolded. "Come downstairs and greet him properly."

"I'd rather greet an ass!" I exclaimed. "Oh wait. I forgot. That's what you're asking me to do!"

"Get yourself downstairs and meet your future husband _now_," she commanded harshly before making a brisk exit from my room.

I scowled. "Bite me."

"Where _did _you learn manners?" a surprising sultry voice sounded from the open window. "I wanna go get some there."

I smiled happily over at my best friend, or the one I was nicest to anyways—really, I felt bad for the fellow. "What, Nick?"

He slid into my room silently, the way he did most things. "I finally followed your advice from last year, the advice you gave me to try and court the woman I love. I was right. Her father won't even tell her I courted her, or tried to anyways."

I gasped. "What kind of man would do that?"

His eyebrows rose. "Y—Well, it doesn't matter. Anyways, my parents are eager to get me out of the house, so I'm just gonna pick someone."

"You'll be miserable," I insisted. "Don't do that. Keep trying."

"Her husband has already been decided," he sighed. "I have no other options."

"Tell _her_," I said firmly, frowning at how easily he was giving up. "I don't want you to be miserable. You deserve better. Tell her you love her and want to marry her. Her father can't make her marry nowadays. I need get downstairs. Don't go anywhere. Find somewhere to hide."

He nodded and slid quickly into my closet, easily hiding in the darkest corner. When he was nice and hidden, I angrily headed down the two flights of stairs.

I looked around the gold entrance room to see Wesley, my parents, and my younger sister—Abigail. "I said no. I am not marrying him!"

"I can disown you," my father threatened, and I groaned, knowing he would. "Now, as I was saying, you two are goin' to be wed Saturday. Abby, you have been chosen for also. It will be a joint wedding, so marvelous and grand. I recommend starting preparations first thing tomorrow morning."

Abby groaned quietly with closed eyes. "Who?"

"Robert Mason," he said lightly, and I almost laughed but managed to keep it inside.

She _hated _Robert, more than I hated Wesley, and we hated each other. So, knowing she would be more miserable than me excited me.

"Disown me," she said simply with a shrug before she began walking back up the stairs. "He's an arrogant drunk, and he will do nothing but abuse me! I'll choose my own husband!"

"No daughter of mine will casually date, like some kind of harlot!" our father yelled furiously after her, but she ignored him and kept going up. "Get back down here, Abigail! He'll be here any minute!"

She paused, only so she could look over the banisters at him. "Good. You can tell him I'm _not _marrying him when he arrives. Even if he was the last man on earth, I would marry a woman first!"

That _completely _changed the mood of the room. Our parents went from angry to mortified and humiliated in an instant. When they chased up after her, I looked over to Wesley.

"You should know I don't like you," I said simply.

"I like your figure," he informed me in that arrogant tone of his. "That's about it. We'll make pretty babies."

I hated admitting it, but he was right.

"You can go now," I said lightly, remembering Nick hiding upstairs. "I'll see you Saturday."

He nodded, tipped his hat, and left. Cautiously, I began going upstairs into my room, where my family members' yells were loud and vivid and Nick was starting to climb out the window.

I frowned at him. "Where are you going?"

"I mostly just came to tell you I'm shipping out next week, off to the war," he said in a low voice. "I should go now. Is . . . is Abigail gonna be okay?"

This surprised and irritated me. "I hope not. Why do you ask?"

He looked away from me and shook his head, eyes soft. "No reason. I, uh, should really—"

"She was the one you tried to court," I accused, not asked.

I could see the understanding in his eyes, so I knew he had tried. He didn't even _try _to deny it, because he knew I knew, and he knew I was mad. Mad wasn't really even a good enough word to describe it, but it's the most polite word, so I'll use it instead of the other.

"Well, unfortunately for you, her husband's already chosen," I sneered, purposely trying to hurt him. "Now, I really think you should go. You can come to the wedding Saturday. I'm sure it would be a lot of fun. I'll make sure to send you an invitation."

He glared at me. "Well, okay, _best friend_. Thanks for always being there and saying all that. I didn't mean to fall in love with your sister, okay? Get over it. It happened. It can't be changed."

I shrugged. "Sucks to be you, 'cause you'll have to move on. Your chances are up and over."

"We'll see about that," he muttered under his breathed, and then, he began going out the window. "I have a chance still, Lizzie. You'll see."

And then he was gone.

At that moment, I realized I was down a friend and I had two options. I could ruin my sister's life, because I knew she had a thing for him, and his all at once. My father must've known too. That's probably why he didn't tell her about him trying to court her. So, I could tell him that he plans to win her over, or I could keep quiet and let her be happy, _much _happier than I would be in life, especially if he ever perfects that immortality compound he's been working on.

It wasn't hard to decide which option I went with.


	4. 03:You have no idea how to handle things

**03. Sink or Swim: Falling in Reverse**

***Abigail***

My parents relentlessly yelled and argued until they decided I wasn't gonna change my mind. So, they forbid me to go anywhere and _forced _me to marry him. I wasn't given another choice, because where else could I go? I'm only seventeen, and I have no job. No one would want to hire me, because I'm a runaway with no work experience. Just a "spoiled rich girl" to the world.

That's just what my parentsthought, though. I wasn't getting married. I had less than a week to figure out _how _to get out of is, but I wasn't getting married to Robert.

As they were turning to leave, Maria quickly rushed into the room and stopped them. "I have the most horrid news! It's absolutely dreadful! Nicholas Mosley just dropped a letter by for Abigail, and it is so horrid and disgusting! It's offensive and sinful! He's trying to make her disobey you and marry him instead, on top of talking about her figure in such a sinful manner. Oh, Father, it's absolutely dreadful!"

"I told that boy he could not marry her when he tried courting her this morning!" he exclaimed. "No means no! I didn't accept any of his offers to avoid confusion!" He snatched the paper from Maria's hand and quickly read it before turning and lividly rushing out and downstairs, probably to head right over to the Mosley's house right now.

Momma followed after him, probably to talk to him about being reasonable and keeping a cool head. Maria, on the other hand, stayed behind and smirked.

I was beyond confused but surprised. "He . . . he tried to court me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she snorted. "It's only because I told him I wasn't interested. He's just trying to marry up. Don't let him use you like that. Marry Robert. At least he's willing to sink to your level."

I grabbed the piece of paper out of my floor and took one glance at it. That's all it took to know that this wasn't Nicholas's handwriting. It was Robert's.

"This isn't even his handwriting!" I exclaimed desperately. "What are you trying to pull here, Maria?"

She snorted. "It's not, but Pa don't know that, and your chances are still ruined. He knows you were dumb enough to grow feelings for him, but he also knows Nick's just trying to marry up."

The atmosphere changed suddenly, but I had no idea why. Maria did, and she was staring at my window with wide eyes and hatred burning deep within them.

"You know damn well that's not true, Maria."

I jumped at the sound of Nicholas's voice, but I wasn't worried, unlike Maria. I was _thrilled_, especially hearing him defend himself, like he had the right to. "Nicholas! You . . . you wanted to court me?"

"Yes," he murmured. "I wanted to court you that first day I saw you. It was summer. You saw me and started watching me through the window. You didn't know I had seen you, but I had, and I knew that day I wanted to marry you."

I probably melted into a pile of goop right about then, but almost as quickly as he had shown up, he disappeared back out the window and disappeared into the night. At first, I didn't understand why, but when my father stormed back in and began tugging the two of us roughly down the stairs, I understood why.

"We're going to the Mosley house, and you two are gonna tell 'em what their rotten boy has been up to!" he snarled.

I yanked my arm away from him. "I'm gonna do no such thing! That is not Nicholas's handwriting, and his family will tell you the same thing! He would never write something so horrid! That is Robert's handwriting. Have the idiot write something down for you. You'll see I'm telling you the truth! There is nothing wrong with Nicholas having feelings for me, and if you've got nothing better to do than show up and try and ruin people's lives, you should get a hobby. Nicholas didn't write that. Maria's just upset because he wanted to court me."

Pa's eyes narrowed slightly. "How'd you know that?"

"You told me," I thought quickly, and it was true. He _had_. "You said he tried this morning when Maria brought the letter."

Maria snorted before she burst into tears—sobs, shaking, and waterworks. "She knows, 'cause he's been sneaking into her room at nights. They've been sinning together since this summer, and I tried to stop them! She just threatened to kill me if I told you! I can't hide it anymore, though! It's eating me alive!"

I gaped at her. "_I'm _the one sinning? Says the one who's probably slept with every male in the county but Nicholas and John! She's lying through her dirty teeth! I haven't done any of that!"

Father wasn't even listening, though. Maria's statement had been enough for him, because he was out the door headed to his car before he even heard my part.

Momma heard it, though, and she was _pissed _at Maria. It wasn't hard to figure out who was telling the truth, because Momma knew how Maria was. She also knew how I was. I valued my virtue, where Maria didn't see it as a big deal at all.

"Are you mad at Nicholas because he wouldn't sleep with you?" she yelled furiously. "Do you realize what your father is about to do? He's gonna kill that boy! Get down there and tell him you lied, _now_!"

"I would if I did!" Maria shouted back, but I was bawling as I ran back into my room. Hidden deep within my drawers were a pair of men's sweatpants. It wasn't ideal, but neither was running after my father in a dress.

Momma gave me one of father's t-shirts too, and with a pair of working flats, I took off running out the door. We had another car, but I had to try and beat Father. On the road, I would never make it, but if I went through the woods, I actually had a chance.

Nicholas had already made his way home, and his parents were sound asleep. He was, on the other hand, getting ready for bed. When I frantically began beating on the door, he barely had time to slip a t-shirt on.

His eyes widened. "What are you doin' here, Abby? Your parents are gonna—"

"You and your family need to get out, _now_," I interrupted quickly. "Maria told Father we've been committing adultery together since the summer, and he's on his way here to kill you! Literally! I don't know what he'll—"

I could hear the car pulling up in the driveway behind me, and Nicholas was quick to yank me inside and bolt the door shut. We both ran back to his parents, who weren't asleep anymore due to the commotion.

When my father began pounding on the door, Nicholas's father grabbed his shotgun and snuck out the back door, whereas Nicholas and I rushed his mother to the basement and hid her there. When she was safe, we came back out right in time to hear a loud gunshot ringing loud and clear.

I had no idea who had been hit, and I didn't want to know. Nicholas probably had a guess, because he could probably tell the difference in the two gunshots. All I could hear was a loud pop ringing in the silence of the night.

Nicholas locked the basement up tight, doing everything he could to protect his mother. I knew why he wasn't locking me down there. If I was in the way, my father wouldn't kill him. I knew it too, and I was glad he decided this way.

When my father kicked in the front door, it took careful maneuvering to sneak back out the back. As we got out, Nicholas began running for the woods. I, on the other hand, knew I had to try and save his mom. Father would find her and kill her in the midst of his rage.

Nicholas looked back to me with wide eyes. "A—"

"Go!" I exclaimed desperately. "I'll save her. Go now before he gets out here!"

He disappeared into the darkness of the woods just in time for my father to snatch me up. I yelped in surprise, and I was bawling. It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize what was now happening to my life.

My father was a murderer, my sister was a liar, and my love was now running for his life.

"Where'd he go?" my father sneered through clenched teeth. He didn't even give me time to answer before he punched me in the eye. "You little lesbian whore, tell me!"

"I'm not a lesbian, or a whore!" I screamed back through tears. "You want a whore? Look at your older daughter! Your wife will tell you the same thing. I had never even spoken to Nicholas until the day he picked Elizabeth up to inform her she had been courted! You've killed a man now out of stupidity and quick outbursts of rage! If you want to kill another, do it in prison, because I'm not telling you where he's at!"

He grabbed me roughly by the arms and shook me violently. "Tell me!"

"Daniel, stop it this instant!" my mother cried out, and my father threw me down on the ground. "She's telling you the truth! She hasn't been with that boy a single night in her life! Just look at what you've done! You're lucky Mr. Mosley is still breathing, because I have a doctor working on him right now! Get right back in your car and go back home!"

"I'm the man of this house!" he yelled back at her. "You don't tell me what to do!"

Her eyes tightened. "If you want to continue being the man of this house, you will do what I say! I can drop you quicker than I picked you up! Let your daughter go, get out of town for a few days, and cool yourself down before you kill another innocent person. That's not a request. I've got your stuff in the back of your car. Go, _now_. I don't want to see you again until Maria's wedding."

Father looked vehemently at her. "You mean Maria and Abigail's wedding."

"No," she disagreed. "I don't. That man you're tryin' to make her marry wrote that wretched note, and he almost got a man killed for it. No daughter of mine is marrying a man like that. Now go on."

And after the two glared at each other for another minute or so, Father stormed his way out of the house and into his car.

We didn't see him again until Saturday, like Momma had demanded.


	5. 04: If this is gonna be our last night

04. If this is gonna be our last night together, it's gonna be something special.

_Okay. For this chapter, I thought I should warn you of the lemons down below. I mean that quite literally. It's everything, so if you don't like lemons . . . well, I warned you in the actual A Thousand Years, so if you think it's disgusting, stop reading and don't complain about it. No one's forcing you to read this._

**04. Heartbeat: The Fray**

Friday night came quickly, and instead of getting a bridal shower like she would have if she hadn't tried to destroy so many lives, Maria was stuck at home. Momma couldn't just let me go see Nicholas, because Father was still in charge. She was helping me sneak out tonight, though, when Maria was in her room pouting and feeling sorry for herself.

She had called Nicholas up and asked him to meet me at the park, and he had agreed. I was surprised his parents didn't absolutely hate me, but somehow, they only hated my father.

Nicholas's father almost died. If we hadn't brought the doctor, he would have, but the doctor was able to remove the bullet and sew him back up. We didn't make the Mosleys pay for my father's mistake, so we had to pay _big_.

I understood, and Momma wasn't happy at all with Father. Things were probably gonna be ugly for a while after Maria's out of the picture, but I didn't mind as long as it meant putting my life back together.

Nicholas was glad to see me. We hadn't seen each other since he disappeared into the woods that night, and a part of me honestly thought I would never see him again. But, here we were.

"Tonight will probably be the last time we ever see each other again," I informed him quietly. "I'm not getting married tomorrow, but my father _will _find a replacement, and he's still gonna hate you."

His lips pursed together. "I've been thinkin' 'bout this mess. We'll talk in a minute. First, we need to talk about somethin' else."

"What is it?" I asked curiously.

Instead of walking further with me, he gestured to a nearby park bench. "Would ya like to sit down?"

I tucked my skirt in against my legs and did just that. "What is it, Nicholas?"

He took a deep breath. "I'm shipping out next week, off to Europe to fight in the Great War."

"I figured you would go eventually," I said honestly. "You seemed to be the type to fight for the things and the ones you love."

He gave me a tiny smile. "Is that okay with you?"

"I mean, I'll be upset if something happens, but of course it's okay with me," I said sincerely, trying to be as comforting as possible. I didn't like the idea. As a matter of fact, I _hated _it, but I couldn't hold him back and tell him no. "I can't hold you back, especially when I have no say over your life, and it's a little late to have a problem with it now."

He let out a gentle laugh. "You have more say than you realize, Abigail. I think you've probably figured out that I've fallen in love with you. At this point, it's safe to say that."

"And that's what sucks most," I groaned. "You love me, I love you, but we can never be together."

"Why not?" he asked curiously. His tone wasn't what I expected, what normal people would ask the question like if they were trying to persuade someone to change their mind. He was asking the question to know the reasons—_why _not.

I didn't know exactly what he needed to know, so I just began answering with furrowed eyebrows. "Because we live in a society that says casual dating is wrong, in a society that says people of different class should never marry. Women wearing pants is one of the most unladylike things a woman can do, and if the father agrees to let you be courted, you pretty much _have _to go through with it."

"Unless you find a loophole," he added on to the end, and he was smiling brilliantly. "I did. First things first, though. What would you say if I told you've I've made a compound that makes a human being immortal? No matter what happens, and no matter how old they get, they'll live forever."

My eyes widened. "I would say that's incredible. We could start our lives together after all the troublesome people have passed. How on earth—?"

"It was complicated, and taking it is a risk," he admitted. "I wanna try it, though. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, Abigail Morrow, and I want you to be my wife." He took a beautiful ring out of his pocket—white gold with a small circle diamond in the middle—and slowly slid down to one knee. "Will you marry me?"

I was beyond surprised, and even though I knew the treacherous journey ahead of us, it was everything I wanted, so I said yes, and we hugged like there was no tomorrow, laughing and squealing the entire time.

It wasn't proper to kiss before marriage either, so instead, he kissed my hand again and put the ring on it tenderly, kissing each finger delicately afterwards.

He looked up at me. "We can get married at my house. I can get us a place to live, and when I get back from war, we'll start our life together."

"That sounds too good to be true!" I exclaimed eagerly. "I can hardly believe it."

He smiled wildly at me. "Well, believe it, my love. We should begin preparations at once."

"You can't make your family pay for it," I disagreed. "My family is supposed to do that, and although they never will, I could get a job and—"

"No," he interrupted quickly. "Trust me, Abigail. If it makes you feel better, we'll pay them back over the years. I just want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I want to marry you before I leave."

"I thought you wanted to marry once everyone we're living with now has passed," I said quietly, eyes widening a little. "Nicholas, I just don't think marriage is possible yet. Of course, I will never marry anyone else, but I think we should wait."

His lips pursed. "Abigail, this compound . . . it requires an exchange of body fluid."

I frowned. "Well, that changes things."

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, eyes widening in horror, because he clearly took that sentence the wrong way. "We can figure something out. I—"

"Nicholas, don't worry about it," I said quietly before stepping closer to him. "Do you have the compound with you?"

He shook his head. "It's at my house. If you would like, we can stop by my house and get it. This is a big decision. I'll give you as much time as you need to think it over."

"I don't have any time," I reminded him. "Once my father is back, I won't get to see you again. I don't know when I'll see you ever again. There is no time. Is anyone at your house?"

He nodded. "My parents are there. I know a place we can go . . . Abby, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Positive," I whispered. "Does . . . does this connect us to each other, forever?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "I'm eighty seven percent certain the exchange of body fluids _will _connect us to each other forever, but it's not a guarantee. This is a risk, Abby."

"I'm willing to take it if it means being with you," I said simply. "Let's go, and hurry. My mother asked me to be back by midnight, and that leaves us a few mere hours."

"Let's go," he agreed, and we swiftly ran off, leaving my shoes behind.

As we stepped through the doorway of the old cabin, the place Elizabeth and I used to go when we wanted to get out of my house because of certain rich people there, I immediately began feeling my heart pound quickly in my chest. I was struggling to breathe, but it wasn't because I didn't want this.

I couldn't honestly say it wasn't because I wasn't scared, because I was—quite scared. I didn't know what I was getting into, and if we were caught, my father would find out, and he _would _kill Nicholas.

On the other hand, what if we _weren't _caught at first? What if I ended up pregnant?

I shuddered to think about what would happen then, especially since everyone knows I'm not married.

It would be an utter disaster.

Nicholas closed the door behind us and turned the lock. "Abby?"

"I'm okay," I assured him quietly. "Just a little nervous. That's all."

"Abby, you really don't have to do this," he said again, and I laughed a little before turning to face him.

Suddenly, when I looked at him now, I saw something completely different. Somehow before, I had missed the finer details of Nicholas—_my _Nicholas. I missed how perfectly defined and shaped his jaw bone was, how mysterious and beautiful those eyes were. His hair was different from the usual style, but it was choppy and shorter, and I absolutely adored it. His skin was softer, much smoother than I originally saw.

And his eyes . . . they held more love than the entire world knew how to understand, more than _I _knew how to understand. God understood, but no human being on earth would ever grasp how much love his eyes held.

How much love they held for _me_.

I couldn't help myself at that point. When I saw that love, it was like a switch inside of me was being flipped on, and I began kissing him. In just an instant, the thought process of my brain combusted, and I could do nothing but kiss and desire; desire more than I had ever dared to let myself desire, even after I saw him that first summer. Right now, I wanted to feel his warm skin touching mine, feel the sensation of the two of us touching fully.

It was so sudden, so vibrant. Nothing could change my mind, and nothing could bring me back into my normal senses. I wanted Nicholas, and I wanted him to have me in the way only he will ever have.

I could feel my fingers knotting in his hair, and I could feel him wrapping his arms securely around my waist—refusing to let me go.

And he didn't, not even as he began undoing the back of my corset. Surprisingly, even though I vowed to myself that I would never do this until after I was married, I wanted nothing more than to slip out of this dress that was part of the blockade between skin to skin contact.

When I was in nothing but my under garments, I began moving to remove his clothes. It was a little simpler, because men's clothes are much easier to get out of than women's.

Because _men _are allowed to wear pants!

At any rate, he was completely shirtless and down to his own under garments before he abruptly pulled away from me, eyes wide and breathing heavy.

I was stunned, so much I blinked. "Nicholas? Is this not—?"

"Yes, Abby, it is," he panted. This was something that made his muscular, well-defined chest more obvious. All the work he put into his father's farm paid off, because he was so attractive. So much it made desires kick in all over again. It was all I could do to stand my ground and allow him to say his piece. "We should drink the compound before this goes any further."

"Right," I murmured. "We would hate for this to happen and then forget the compound. What is it gonna taste like?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Like beer. Disgusting, I know, but I couldn't make it taste better without messing it up."

"How are you certain this is going to work?" I asked curiously.

He took a deep breath. "Well, I told you this was risky. I have a pet rabbit that lives in the woods around my house. It was attacked by a coyote one night, and I gave it this compound. Not only did it heal it, but it also gave it the energy it had when it was younger. I'm not one hundred percent positive it's going to work. I just believe it will."

"It's worth a shot," I agreed.

He pulled out a closed up flask and began swirling it around a little, probably to get it nice and stirred up. "One sip should do the trick, but just in case, I say we take one before hand and then one afterwards. Then, if we, erm, happen to go again, we can only take the two and be alright."

"That sounds like a plan," I laughed, and because I knew he was nervous about this, I took the flask from him and took the first sip. It went down bitterly, because he was right about the horrid taste, but it went down, and I was ready to begin the bonding process.

Nicholas took the next sip with a scowl, and once he set the flask down and put the lid on, I was quick to begin kissing him again.

It was like magic. The first forbidden skin to skin contact was made as he placed his hands on my bare ribs, rubbing them softly. It wasn't the gentlest skin, but the calluses made it even better—in my opinion. It was more proof that strong, capable hands were going to love me and take care of me, through everything.

His hands rubbed around to my back, where they began sliding up to the clasps on my bra. I was more than ready for it to come off, so I showed him this by pulling him tighter against me and kissing him more deeply.

For some reason, I began getting very skittish, and it felt like I was getting wet in my lower private region.

Was this what it was like to want someone? To lust for someone?

I didn't know, but I felt so dirty, so sinful. Yet, at the same time, I felt so wicked, so incredible. There was no way I could live with myself afterwards in any other circumstances but this one. I had no idea how Maria managed.

When it slid off, I was still clinging to Nicholas, so he couldn't see anything. He could only feel my nipples harden against his skin, and he could only feel the pleasure of skin to skin contact—highly forbidden areas.

I felt him pull me up in his arms, so my legs wrapped around his waist. When they did, one hand slid down his chest, loving the way it moved along the ridges. He loved it too, because he moaned into the kiss and slipped his tongue into my mouth.

That about did it for me. I felt as if I got any more excited and I got anymore pleasure inside of me, I might just explode.

Nicholas began moving, and I knew where he was going. The cabin was a small, two person place that we could comfortably live in. It was already furnished with a bed, so that was where he was most likely headed.

Gently, he laid me down and slowly pulled away from me. As he moved, before he could see my exposed breasts, I could see that love in his eyes mixing with desire, and they were both burning bright. The desire was trying to burn over the love, but it didn't seem to.

He began playing with the edges of my under garments still on me as he eyed my breasts hungrily, like a wolf spotting it's prey. "There's so much I want to do . . . but I need to hurry and make the exchange."

"Play later, exchange now," I suggested, and the words seemed so foreign. I had no idea what I was saying, but it sounded right. It sounded . . . incredible.

He grinned at the idea, and he began sliding down my remaining clothing. "That works. Maybe it'll inspire more times?"

"Maybe," I agreed, and then, I was completely naked. It wasn't long before Nicholas was too. We were both curious, so we couldn't help but take a moment to look at the other person. I never imagined a male penis would look like it did, not exactly. I figured it would be something like it was to fit right with the female, but I really had no idea. It was so _long_ and pretty wide too.

I gulped visibly when I realized that was going inside of me, but I laid down to embrace it. "Okay. I'm ready."

He separated my legs to give him some room to work, and when he did, his finger slid across my center. Instantly, instinctively, I gasped, and he grinned wider.

"You like that, huh?"

I nodded, eyes squeezing tightly as he began getting his penis closer to my center.

Normally, I think he would've teased me a little more, but he wanted to hurry and exchange the fluids before our bodies had time to process the compound. So, instead of messing with me some more, he slowly began to push himself inside of me. It was _really _hard for him to do, because it was almost like I wasn't letting him. There was plenty of wetness down there to allow a smooth entrance, but I was so tight around him . . . so scared.

It hurt, really badly, and he wasn't even _close _to being fully inside of me. I knew, for the sake of getting the exchange faster, that I had to grin and bear it, so I began gasping. There was pleasure mixed in with the pain, so it was enough for sincere gasps of pleasure as I began trying to slid my way down onto him.

He took the hint and began pushing further, letting out his first groan as he got deeper and deeper. About halfway in, he stopped, eyes wide as he looked up at me. "Abby, this is it. It's about to hurt _really _bad."

Oh shit. This wasn't even the beginning? It felt like he was ripping apart, and now I'm finding out that wasn't anything yet?

I nodded. "Do it."

It felt like he was piercing through a layer of skin as he made the next push, stronger and more forceful than the others. This time, instead of slowly entering, it was quick and abrupt, and he was fully inside of me.

I was moaning quietly in agony with slight pleasure. Down inside of me, I felt so much pain, but I also felt so full, like maybe there was no more room for anymore length or width.

Nicholas was gasping rapidly, eyes wide with excitement. As he watched me, he began to pull out slowly. When I tried to stop him, he shook his head and pulled practically all the way out. He didn't pull all the way out, because he left the tip, but right as I began to question him, he thrust himself all the way inside of me—a quick, instant fulfillment of our shared desires. It still hurt, really badly, bur I was able to comprehend more pleasure that time.

This became a pattern, and that pattern became more frequent. In and out, deeper, harder, faster. It got so fast that our hips were slamming together loudly, and I was screaming into a pillow in pure desire, while he was grunting and trying to thrust harder.

And then, the pleasure overload I was worried about before caused strange liquids to begin seeping onto his member, which was leaking his own fluids too. Right about the time this happened, he collapsed on top of me.

He was still inside of me, but he wasn't as hard anymore. It no longer hurt, although I knew it would hurt tomorrow. Right now, though, it was pure pleasure, and I felt like I could fly away.

As long as he was with me, I didn't care where I went. I just wanted to be here, in this moment, with Nicholas, forever.

He was still panting as he laid here, his mouth by my ears. "I love you, Abigail Morrow."

I made my first move since the release when I pulled him closer to me. When I did, he remembered he was still inside of me, and he pulled himself out. Once he was out, he rolled over to lay beside me and pulled me into the embrace I was trying to accomplish.

It was incredible. Never before had I felt so dirty, so sinful, but at the same time, never before had I felt so right. This _was _what we were supposed to do, no matter how wrong it was. It was wrong. I had accepted that. But it was also incredible, everything we needed. Maybe we should've tried a courthouse wedding first, but there was no way I was gonna risk that.

I felt so close to him, like there was never gonna be anyone else in this world who would come close to meaning as much to me as he did. Maybe it was like this for every woman when she loses her virginity, that deep sense of comfort and relief as you look to the future and always see yourself by his side.

Nicholas's hands began rubbing up my stomach, up to my breasts that he wasn't previously allowed to fondle. First, he rubbed his fingertips underneath them tenderly, loving the way I began breathing heavily again.

His hands cupped over them, and his thumb began rubbing across my nipples purposefully. He wanted them to be harder than they were, and he was achieving his goal. While his thumbs rubbed, his hands began squeezing them, and I whispered his name under my breath.

Until he swooped down and took one of my nipples in his mouth. _That _was surprising, but surprisingly incredible too. When he began sucking and biting it, I let out a quiet scream then shoved the pillow back over my face.

He moved to the other nipple as I felt myself growing wet all over again. When he did, I instinctively moved down and grabbed his penis.

Nicholas froze as it suddenly seemed to harden under my grasp, becoming erect instantly. "I think I'm good for another one. You?"

"More than good," I said firmly. "But it's my turn to be mean." And I turned him over to lay him on his back.

While he stared up at me with lustful eyes, mostly staring at my chest, I began rubbing my hands across my breasts to make them bounce a little. They were perky enough, but I decided I wanted to help make him squirm.

He was squirming, so much that I decided it was time to tease him more. I began moving his penis in the direction of my center, and I even rubbed it over the top a little.

Finally, he groaned out loudly, "Abby, please!"

I grinned wickedly and turned to look at him. "Please what?" I slid my fingernails tenderly down his shaft, exploring all the possible options I had right now.

"Please put me inside of you!" he pleaded, and he moaned when I complied. It was a little more painful this way, sliding myself down instead of him pushing inside, but I embraced it, because he seemed to enjoy it this way.

I began sliding up and down faster, and he started pumping himself in completely. I was only able to slide on the edges, but he finished it off by thrusting deeper inside. When we started going faster and faster, we finally got a rhythm, and I began screaming in pleasure. He was groaning loudly, so I'm sure people walking by would probably walk faster.

I began slamming myself down on him harder, and I began curling my ass around in a way that it allowed him to go as deep as possible. So, now, we were going as fast as possible, as hard as we could handle, and as deep as possible. It was so incredible that neither of us knew what to do.

"I'm coming again," he panted. "Oh, shit, Abby, I'm so close."

"Me. Too," I ground through clenched teeth, and he began thrusting harder to time it where we released together.

And we did. When we did, I didn't fall, because it was different for me than it was for him. I felt strange, tingly even, but I wasn't so disoriented that I collapsed.

I _did_, however, lay back down only to have Nicholas roll over on top of me, chest heaving heavily onto mine. "We're going once more before I take you home."

I laughed breathlessly. "Can you?"

"I don't know when I'll see you again to do this," he said quietly. "If this is our last night together for decades, I want to make it something you never forget."

And the next time, the final time for the evening, was different. It wasn't hard and powerful, like the first two. It was fast, but it was gentle. With each thrust, he was kissing along my neck and rubbing his hands all along my body. I was struggling to get air, but he was pushing himself inside in a way that I didn't want to give up, so I managed.

It was absolutely incredible, and it was a night I would never forget. It was gonna be anyways, even with just the first time, but now, there was no possible way.

Nicholas and I were bonded, and I was passionately in love with him. That's why, after our third release and he laid down beside me, I kissed him deeper and more fully than I had yet to do. I held onto him like this was our last night together, ever.

I didn't realize at the time how accurate that would seem to be.


End file.
